“Since leaving the life of pinstripes, mahogany desks and secretaries behind, I have helped out friends and relatives with their own divorces, and thus saved them from being caught up in a costly and frustrating system. As much as I’d like to, I can’t save everyone,

Many a time, I’ve heard a mediation client say that they aren’t going to settle their case in mediation because of principle. They “know they’re right” and they want to go before the judge to receive the justice due them. They believe that because the other party [insert bad behavior

Petitioner- The person asking the court to grant a divorce. The petitioner can dismiss the case if they change their mind. Respondent- The person against whom the legal action is being taken. The Respondent may or may not respond to the petition, but cannot stop the divorce against

By Margie Mittleman The Florida Bar recently published an article aimed at attorneys titled “‘Legal freegans’ are looking to ‘eat your lunch.’” (February 15, 2014) The article was focusing on nonlawyer entities “encroaching on the traditional practice of law.” Interestingly, the artic

Someone asked me this week if I can provide legal advice. I responded “I am a mediator, not an attorney, therefore I cannot provide legal advice, only legal information.” What is the difference between legal information and legal advice, and what does that mean to the average lay pers

By Margie Mittleman In the ten plus years of my career, I’ve often heard a party to a case say that he/she wants to “let the judge decide”. The unfortunate truth is that most people aren’t happy with what the judge decides. In many cases, I have no doubt that t

We get that question a lot. The answer is: It depends. 12 days: We recently filed a couple’s divorce documents just 12 days after their initial meeting. The couple was highly motivated and provided all required information to us within days. 6 months: We will hold your documents

“…the civil justice system in this country is essentially inaccessible to many Americans — and when it does get accessed, is tilted toward the wealthy and moneyed interests,” states Dan Froomkin of the Huffington Post. Reporting statistics from the World Justic

“I have come to the conclusion that the time has come to consider taking divorce out of the hands of lawyers and judges and putting it in the hands of the parties and whatever advisers they choose,” states Bruce Peterson, a district judge in Hennepin County, MN, in a comme

Today’s legal system is a labyrinth of rules, forms and procedures. The cost of legal representation, ranging in the thousands of dollars per litigant, is prohibitive to most. Free legal services are only available to those whose incomes fall below the poverty line. What choice is lef